Academic
convocation was held Tuesday, September 1st at The Citadel. The
idea of an academic convocation goes back to the earliest days
of the university in the middle ages, to Oxford and Cambridge.
The purpose is to come together and set the tone for the academic
year and to strengthen the bond between faculty and students.
The ceremony was dedicated to the Class of 1999.

Remarks
were made by Brig. Gen. R. Clifton Poole, Vice President of Academic
Affairs; Dr. Suzanne Ozment, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and
Dean of Women; and Cadet Will Smythe, president of the senior
class.

The
program honored current sophomores, juniors, and seniors who earned
gold stars and deans list in the spring of 1998. Eleven
percent of the sophomore class, 19% of the junior class, and 16%
of the current senior class made deans list, earning a GPA
of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Honor students, student-athletes
(for their consistently high graduation rates), students who studied
abroad, and those who competed on academic teams were all recognized.

Two
Citadel honor societies accomplishments were also highlighted.
The Beta Iota chapter of Sigma Alpha National Collegiate Political
Science Honor Society has been named for the second time as the
"Best Chapter" in institutions with enrollment under
6000. In addition, the Tau Iota chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the
National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, was chosen as a dual
recipient of the 1998 Ignacio and Sophie Gablis Award (an honor
established to recognize the most outstanding chapter nationwide).The
Citadels distinguished faculty were also recognized for
their accomplishments. Four members were acknowledged and presented
awards based on exceptional performance. The Medbery Award, named
after the late professor Clint Medbery, was presented to Dr. Charles
Cleaver, professor and head of the mathematics and the computer
science department. The award was established to recognize dedicated,
caring teachers in the sciences and technologies.

The
1997-1998 Faculty Achievement Awards were presented to: Dr. Milton
L. Boykin, professor and head of the political science and criminal
justice department; Dr. Mark Del Mastro, associate professor of
Spanish; and Dr. James Hutchisson, associate professor of English.
The awards were presented for their significant contributions
in their field of study and the college.

The
program concluded with remarks made by Citadel President Maj.
Gen. John S. Grinalds.